Virtual privacy creation system

ABSTRACT

One embodiment provides a method, the method including: tracking, using a virtual privacy creation system, a user having an augmented reality device within an environment; detecting, with the virtual privacy creation system, the user is in proximity to another user having a privacy mode enabled, wherein the privacy mode of the another user identifies privacy settings for the another user; and enabling, at the augmented reality device, a privacy view based upon the privacy settings for the another user.

BACKGROUND

Recently offices have begun transitioning from a traditional cubicleoffice space with designated assigned seating to more open floor plansthat do not contain privacy separators. Traditionally, a cubicle woulddesignate a space for an employee, and the walls of the cubicle wouldprovide an employee with the necessary level of privacy needed to workon sensitive information. The new open floor plans implemented by manymajor companies removes the use of cubicles and assigned seating; thus,lacking privacy that employees once had. An employee working onsensitive information in such an updated environment is much more likelyto have the sensitive information compromised with the lack of privacypresent within the open floor plan. As technology continues to advance,privacy methods associated with updated technology may be implemented.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In summary, one aspect provides a method, the method including:tracking, using a virtual privacy creation system, a user having anaugmented reality device within an environment; detecting, with thevirtual privacy creation system, the user is in proximity to anotheruser having a privacy mode enabled, wherein the privacy mode of theanother user identifies privacy settings for the another user; andenabling, at the augmented reality device, a privacy view based upon theprivacy settings for the another user.

Another aspect provides an information handling device, the informationhandling device including: track, using a virtual privacy creationsystem, a user having an augmented reality device within an environment;detect, with the virtual privacy creation system, the user is inproximity to another user having a privacy mode enabled, wherein theprivacy mode of the another user identifies privacy settings for anotheruser; and enable, at the augmented reality device, a privacy view basedupon the privacy settings for the another user.

A further aspect provides a product, the product including: acomputer-readable storage device that stores executable code that, whenexecuted by a processor, causes the product to: track, using a virtualprivacy creation system, a user having an augmented reality devicewithin an environment; detect, with the virtual privacy creation system,the user is in proximity to another user having a privacy mode enabled,wherein the privacy mode of the another user identifies privacy settingsfor the another user; and enable, at the augmented reality device, aprivacy view based upon the privacy settings for the another user.

The foregoing is a summary and thus may contain simplifications,generalizations, and omissions of detail; consequently, those skilled inthe art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is notintended to be in any way limiting.

For a better understanding of the embodiments, together with other andfurther features and advantages thereof, reference is made to thefollowing description, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of information handling device circuitry.

FIG. 2 illustrates another example of information handling devicecircuitry.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example method of tracking a user in anenvironment and enabling a privacy mode when the user is determined tobe within the proximity of another user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be readily understood that the components of the embodiments, asgenerally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may bearranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations inaddition to the described example embodiments. Thus, the following moredetailed description of the example embodiments, as represented in thefigures, is not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments, asclaimed, but is merely representative of example embodiments.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” (or the like) means that a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the embodiment is includedin at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearance of the phrases “in oneembodiment” or “in an embodiment” or the like in various placesthroughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to thesame embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics maybe combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In thefollowing description, numerous specific details are provided to give athorough understanding of embodiments. One skilled in the relevant artwill recognize, however, that the various embodiments can be practicedwithout one or more of the specific details, or with other methods,components, materials, et cetera. In other instances, well knownstructures, materials, or operations are not shown or described indetail to avoid obfuscation.

Transitioning to open floor plans or open office concepts in the workplace encounters issues that were not present in an older, moretraditional work space. Removing cubicles and other privacy barriers foran open office concept will allow those who are around you to view theinformation that a user is working on. The ability for thosepeople/co-workers who are present around a user to view the informationin which a user is working on is problematic when trying to maintainprivacy, and is an even larger issue if a user is working on highlysensitive information not meant for common person viewership.

Conventional solutions to the lack of privacy in an open office conceptincludes the installing of an additional application and/or plug-in onan information handling device that may detect the presence of anotherperson present within a predetermined distance of the user devicedisplaying private information. Upon the detection of another personentering this predetermined threshold distance, the applicationminimizes and/or shuts down an application determined to be displayingsensitive information. This method of altering the display of the userbased upon the detection of another person within a predetermineddistance may work well in an environment with very little to zeroadditional persons present in a work environment. However, in an openconcept office space containing a plurality of users, continuouslydetecting and altering the display of a user based on the presence ofanother user may frequently alter the display; thus, negativelyinfluencing a consistency of working and potentially frustrating theuser. What is needed is a system that can dynamically alter a displaycontaining sensitive information and maintain privacy withoutinterrupting the user.

Accordingly, the described system and method provides a technique forutilizing a virtual privacy creation system for tracking a user withinan environment utilizing an augmented reality device, and detecting whena user may encroach within a predetermined proximity of another userworking within a privacy mode. Upon entering within the proximity of theanother user within an active privacy mode, the system may enable theprivacy mode set by the another user on the display of the user device.Thus, the privacy mode determined by the another user requesting privacyof information being displayed on a device, may dynamically adjust thedisplay present on the user's augmented reality device. In other words,a system may determine the position of each user within a mappedenvironment by tracking an augmented reality device associated with auser, and adjusting the viewing settings of the user augmented realitydevice present at a position within a predetermined distance of anotheruser in line with the privacy mode determined by the another user.

The illustrated example embodiments will be best understood by referenceto the figures. The following description is intended only by way ofexample, and simply illustrates certain example embodiments.

While various other circuits, circuitry or components may be utilized ininformation handling devices, with regard to smart phone and/or tabletcircuitry 100, an example illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a system on achip design found for example in tablet or other mobile computingplatforms. Software and processor(s) are combined in a single chip 110.Processors comprise internal arithmetic units, registers, cache memory,busses, input/output (I/O) ports, etc., as is well known in the art.Internal busses and the like depend on different vendors, butessentially all the peripheral devices (120) may attach to a single chip110. The circuitry 100 combines the processor, memory control, and I/Ocontroller hub all into a single chip 110. Also, systems 100 of thistype do not typically use serial advanced technology attachment (SATA)or peripheral component interconnect (PCI) or low pin count (LPC).Common interfaces, for example, include secure digital input/output(SDIO) and inter-integrated circuit (I2C).

There are power management chip(s) 130, e.g., a battery management unit,BMU, which manage power as supplied, for example, via a rechargeablebattery 140, which may be recharged by a connection to a power source(not shown). In at least one design, a single chip, such as 110, is usedto supply basic input/output system (BIOS) like functionality anddynamic random-access memory (DRAM) memory.

System 100 typically includes one or more of a wireless wide areanetwork (WWAN) transceiver 150 and a wireless local area network (WLAN)transceiver 160 for connecting to various networks, such astelecommunications networks and wireless Internet devices, e.g., accesspoints. Additionally, devices 120 are commonly included, e.g., awireless communication device, external storage, etc. System 100 oftenincludes a touch screen 170 for data input and display/rendering. System100 also typically includes various memory devices, for example flashmemory 180 and synchronous dynamic random-access memory (SDRAM) 190.

FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of another example of informationhandling device circuits, circuitry or components. The example depictedin FIG. 2 may correspond to computing systems such as personalcomputers, or other devices. As is apparent from the description herein,embodiments may include other features or only some of the features ofthe example illustrated in FIG. 2 .

The example of FIG. 2 includes a so-called chipset 210 (a group ofintegrated circuits, or chips, that work together, chipsets) with anarchitecture that may vary depending on manufacturer. The architectureof the chipset 210 includes a core and memory control group 220 and anI/O controller hub 250 that exchanges information (for example, data,signals, commands, etc.) via a direct management interface (DMI) 242 ora link controller 244. In FIG. 2 , the DMI 242 is a chip-to-chipinterface (sometimes referred to as being a link between a “northbridge”and a “southbridge”). The core and memory control group 220 include oneor more processors 222 (for example, single or multi-core) and a memorycontroller hub 226 that exchange information via a front side bus (FSB)224; noting that components of the group 220 may be integrated in a chipthat supplants the conventional “northbridge” style architecture. One ormore processors 222 comprise internal arithmetic units, registers, cachememory, busses, I/O ports, etc., as is well known in the art.

In FIG. 2 , the memory controller hub 226 interfaces with memory 240(for example, to provide support for a type of random-access memory(RAM) that may be referred to as “system memory” or “memory”). Thememory controller hub 226 further includes a low voltage differentialsignaling (LVDS) interface 232 for a display device 292 (for example, acathode-ray tube (CRT), a flat panel, touch screen, etc.). A block 238includes some technologies that may be supported via the low-voltagedifferential signaling (LVDS) interface 232 (for example, serial digitalvideo, high-definition multimedia interface/digital visual interface(HDMI/DVI), display port). The memory controller hub 226 also includes aPCI-express interface (PCI-E) 234 that may support discrete graphics236.

In FIG. 2 , the I/O hub controller 250 includes a SATA interface 251(for example, for hard-disc drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs),etc., 280), a PCI-E interface 252 (for example, for wireless connections282), a universal serial bus (USB) interface 253 (for example, fordevices 284 such as a digitizer, keyboard, mice, cameras, phones,microphones, storage, other connected devices, etc.), a networkinterface 254 (for example, local area network (LAN)), a general purposeI/O (GPIO) interface 255, a LPC interface 270 (for application-specificintegrated circuit (ASICs) 271, a trusted platform module (TPM) 272, asuper I/O 273, a firmware hub 274, BIOS support 275 as well as varioustypes of memory 276 such as read-only memory (ROM) 277, Flash 278, andnon-volatile RAM (NVRAM) 279), a power management interface 261, a clockgenerator interface 262, an audio interface 263 (for example, forspeakers 294), a time controlled operations (TCO) interface 264, asystem management bus interface 265, and serial peripheral interface(SPI) Flash 266, which can include BIOS 268 and boot code 290. The I/Ohub controller 250 may include gigabit Ethernet support.

The system, upon power on, may be configured to execute boot code 290for the BIOS 268, as stored within the SPI Flash 266, and thereafterprocesses data under the control of one or more operating systems andapplication software (for example, stored in system memory 240). Anoperating system may be stored in any of a variety of locations andaccessed, for example, according to instructions of the BIOS 268. Asdescribed herein, a device may include fewer or more features than shownin the system of FIG. 2 .

Information handling device circuitry, as for example outlined in FIG. 1or FIG. 2 , may be used in devices such as tablets, smart phones,personal computer devices generally, and/or electronic devices, whichmay be used in augmented reality or other immersive reality devices,systems that implement privacy views, and/or systems that receiveprivacy settings for users. For example, the circuitry outlined in FIG.1 may be implemented in a tablet or smart phone embodiment, whereas thecircuitry outlined in FIG. 2 may be implemented in a personal computerembodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example method of using a virtual privacy creationsystem to track an augmented reality device of a user and detect aposition of the user within a mapped environment; thereafter, enabling aprivacy view on the user augmented reality device restricting a user,within a predetermined proximity, from viewing private information at adevice of another user. The method may be implemented on a system whichincludes a processor, memory device, output devices (e.g., displaydevice, printer, etc.), input devices (e.g., keyboard, touch screen,mouse, microphones, sensors, biometric scanners, etc.), image capturedevices, and/or other components, for example, those discussed inconnection with FIG. 1 and/or FIG. 2 . While the system may includeknown hardware and software components and/or hardware and softwarecomponents developed in the future, the system itself is specificallyprogrammed to perform the functions as described herein to enable aprivacy view that reduces the ability of other individuals to seeobjects a user wants to keep private. Additionally, the virtual privacycreation system includes modules and features that are unique to thedescribed system.

A privacy mode, which may influence the privacy view of the user, isestablished by another user. The another user may be accessing sensitiveinformation, have information to keep private, or may simply not wantothers to see the viewable information. The privacy mode may be set bythe another user, for example, setting a proximity distance around theanother user that when entered by the user will activate a privacy modeand alter the display of the user, thereby obtaining a privacy view. Theprivacy view on the display of the augmented reality device may be theresponse the system utilizes upon the detection of the user, alsoreferred to as the viewing user for ease of readability, within theproximity of the another user, also referred to as the working user forease of readability.

By permitting the working user to dynamically adjust the privacy mode,the system may allow the working user to adjust a privacy mode typesbased upon their own discretion. Additionally, dynamically adjusting theprivacy mode may also include activating a privacy mode under theworking user's discretion, too. The privacy mode may be applicationspecific. In other words, a predetermined privacy mode may be associatedwith an application in use, and when a user decides to access such anapplication, the privacy mode may become active for any user presentwithin the proximity of the working user as established by theapplication. The privacy mode may be determined before activating aprivacy mode.

Establishing a privacy mode may be sensitivity-level specific. Basedupon the information being accessed by the working user, the system maydetermine, by reference to historical data and/or metadata associatedwith information being viewed, if the information is considered, forexample, highly-sensitive, sensitive, or not sensitive. The use ofhighly-sensitive, sensitive, and not sensitive is not intended to belimiting, but merely provides an example of sensitivity levels in whichthe information being accessed by the working user may contain. Forexample, when it is determined that the information being accessed isdeemed highly-sensitive, the privacy mode may be at a peak level,ensuring the highly-sensitive information will not be compromised byonlookers.

As another example, when it is determined that the information beingaccessed is only sensitive, the privacy mode may be at a middle tier,still altering the privacy view of the user on the augmented realitydevice. However, the proximity for detection may be smaller, or the usermay be permitted to be closer to the working user viewing the sensitiveinformation. In a final example, when it is determined that theinformation being accessed is deemed to be not sensitive, the system maynot active a privacy mode, because excluding of onlookers at theinformation present on the display of the working user is unnecessary.Once again, the sensitivity levels mentioned previously are not intendedto be limiting. As another example, there may be an increased amount ofsensitivity levels associated with different privacy modes.

Establishing a privacy mode may also include using a user interface toprovide an intention of being in a private area. In other words, thesystem may query a user, upon the detection of the user in theenvironment, whether the user intends to utilize a privacy mode or not.For example, if an employee enters a workspace, the augmented realitydevice may detect when the user stops and sits down, thereafter queryingthe user regarding if this location is a user's designated workspace.After determining that the user is in their designated workspace, theaugmented reality device may then further query the user aboutpotentially utilizing a privacy mode at this designated location. Uponreceiving a user selection indicating the user would like to enable aprivacy mode, a predetermined privacy mode may be enabled and associatedwith the designated area. As another example, the augmented realitydevice may utilize object recognition to determine that the user is in awork setting (e.g., recognition of meeting room numbers, office numbers,etc.) and query the user about enabling a privacy mode.

The privacy mode implemented by the working user and influencing theuser augmented reality device display may be dependent on the locationof a user within an environment. An augmented reality device may beassociated with each user within the environment. In a non-limitingembodiment, the augmented reality device may be a head mounted device(e.g., smart glasses, smart googles, augmented reality helmet, and thelike). The use of augmented reality permits the viewing of the physicalworld around a user through a display that may be overlaid with virtualaspects. When activating a privacy mode, a virtual element may beoverlaid on the display of the augmented reality device when the user isdetermined to be orientated in the direction of a physical display, deskarea, whiteboard, and/or the like, of another user in the environmentthat contains sensitive information. Herein, throughout the description,reference to smart glasses as the augmented reality device may bepresent, but this is a non-limiting example of a system in use.Additionally, reference to sensitive information on a display will bediscussed. However, this is not intended to be limiting as the sensitiveinformation can be located anywhere in a work environment, for example,cabinet, desk, smartboard, white board, and/or the like.

At 301, the system may track a user having an augmented reality devicewithin an environment. The environment in which the user and at leastone other is present may be previously mapped. In mapping theenvironment, the system may be able to accurately determine the positionof the user in the environment in relation to other aspects present inthe environment. One or more sensors may be employed by the augmentedreality device, or other information handling device, to track the user,for example, an accelerometer, gyroscope, image capturing device,proximity sensors, and/or the like. The tracking of the user may beprovided to the augmented reality device of the via a networkconnection. For example, being that an augmented reality device is asmart device, a network connection may be established to activelyprovide location information of the user back to the system to ascertainthe user's location.

Additionally, or alternatively, one or more algorithms may be used totrack the user. For example, in an embodiment, global positioningsystems (GPS), simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms,distance and triangulation algorithms, and/or the like may be utilized.Distance and triangulation algorithms may include time of flightalgorithms, time distance of arrival algorithms, time angle of arrivalalgorithms, radio signal strength algorithms, and/or the like. Thesealgorithms utilize transmitters and receivers. Transmission signals aretransmitted by transmitters of the moving object, for example, a deviceof the user, the augmented reality device, and/or the like, and receivedby receivers having a known or calculatable position and location withinthe environment. The transmission signals may be received at more thanone receiver. Utilizing an attribute of the transmission signal (e.g.,strength of the received signal, timestamp of the received signal, angleof the received signal, etc.) received at each of the receivers thesystem can correlate and triangulate the location of the transmitterand, therefore, the user and/or augmented reality device, within theenvironment. As the user moves, these calculations can continually beperformed to identify the new location of the user within theenvironment.

Tracking the location of the user within the mapped environment may thenbe utilized to detect if the user is in the proximity to another userhaving a privacy mode enabled, at 302. As mentioned previously, theproximity distance of the user to another user influencing the potentialutilization of a privacy mode may be dynamically selected by the user ormay be influenced by a predetermined proximity distance associated withan application in use and/or a sensitivity level of information presenton the another user's display. When it is determined that the user isnot in proximity to the working user having a privacy mode enabled, at302, the augmented reality device of the user may remain in the currentviewing mode, at 303. Remaining in the current viewing mode at 303includes viewing the physical world through the augmented reality systemwithout impedance.

However, when the system detects the user is in proximity to anotheruser having a privacy mode enabled, at 302, the augmented reality deviceof the user may enable a privacy mode based upon the privacy settings ofthe another user at 304. Since the system knows where the user is inrelation to the another user within the environment, for example, amapped environment, enabling a privacy mode at 304 may includegenerating virtual privacy screens that may appear on the display of theuser augmented reality device as the user moves through an environmentand in proximity to another user having a privacy mode enabled. The usermay not have to take any active action, rather the action enabling theprivacy mode on the augmented reality device may occur automatically asthe proximity of the user is determined in relation to the another user.

As a user is moving through an environment with one or more anotherusers having an enabled privacy mode, the system may notify a user thatthe user is entering an area determined to be within a proximity ofanother user and further indicating that the user augmented realitydevice may take action in altering the augmented reality display of theuser to fall in line with the privacy mode within the space of theproximity. Additionally, or alternatively, as a user is determined to bemoving through an environment and potentially getting closer to privateinformation present within a proximity identified by the another user,the system may simply update a view through the augmented reality deviceto prevent the user viewing sensitive information being accessed by theanother user or otherwise viewable by the user if a privacy view werenot engaged.

When altering or dynamically adjusting the augmented reality device ofthe user upon detection of the user being within proximity of theanother user having an enabled privacy mode, the system may obscure thesensitive information on the display. Obscuring the display may includeperforming an action such as blurring a position on the augmentedreality device associated with the sensitive/private information,placing a graphic over the position, and/or the like. Additionally, oralternatively, the actions performed may include darkening a position ofthe augmented reality device, changing a color of a position of theaugmented reality device, and/or the like. The actions performed on thedevice may alter a specific portion associated with the privacy mode ofthe another user, permitting the user to view the rest of the physicalwork around them aside from the location of the sensitive/privateinformation.

Additionally, or alternatively, when determining if the privacy modeestablished by the another user will influence a user moving through theenvironment, the augmented reality device may take into accountcharacteristics of the user. For example, when a user is moving throughthe environment, a speed of the user may be determined, and upondetermining that a user is moving quickly, the augmented reality devicemay determine that the information being viewed by the user would not belegible at the speed the user is moving.

As another example, since the location of a privacy mode is accuratelytracked and detected, gaze detection techniques may be utilized todetermine a direction in which a user is orientated or looking. Theuser's gaze detection may be determined to be in line with another userenabling a privacy mode, which would normally activate the privacyactions on the augmented reality device. However, the system maydetermine that even though the user is orientated in the direction ofthe another user, the user is too far away from the display of theanother user containing sensitive information. Therefore the informationis not legible to the user, and the augmented reality device may notalter the display. Gaze detection may be utilized throughout multipleembodiments, because tracking gaze may assist in establishing where auser is viewing and further determine the location of the user augmentedreality device that may need to be dynamically adjusted based upon theprivacy mode of the another user.

As mentioned previously, a user may dynamically adjust and establish alevel of privacy desired when viewing sensitive information. Thisdynamic adjusting of privacy mode characteristics includes establishinga distance and/or space of privacy which may thereafter establish theproximity from the another user which will influence the augmentedreality display of the user. For example, a threshold distance of fourfeet may be selected by the another user, over the traditional distanceof three feet as is assigned to application. Therefore, if a user entersthe four-foot distance from the sensitive information, the user'saugmented reality device may be adjusted with privacy screens locatedover the sensitive information.

As another example, the another user may define which objects theydesire to make private, for example, blurring out the entirety of thedetermined proximity including the another user viewing sensitiveinformation, blacking out paperwork and scientific articles that theanother user is viewing, blurring any additional devices or displaysbeing utilized by the another user, and/or the like. Any object theanother user desires to keep private may be applied within the privacymode enabled and thereafter influence the display on the user augmentedreality device.

As another example, the another user may define a viewing levelpermitted by the user when entering a proximity of a privacy mode. Forexample, the viewing level may permit a user to view from a table topdownward, thus permitting a user within a proximity to view anythingbelow the table top (e.g., backpack on floor, legs of chairs, etc.)while blurring or altering the scene at the tabletop and above (e.g.,the display of the another user device, books and notes present on thetable top, the upper half of the another user, etc.). Such a method maypermit a user to view a portion of the user in an environment to accountfor safety while moving through an environment.

As a user within the environment moves closer to and thereafter into aproximity of another user having a privacy mode enabled, the system mayenable a level of the privacy view based upon a distance the user is toan object identified in the privacy settings. In other words, as a usergets closer to the private information being viewable within a proximitydefined by the privacy settings, the privacy view of the information tobe kept private may become more intense as the user gets closer. Forexample, as mentioned previously, when a user is determined to be a fardistance away from the sensitive information a system may determine thatthe sensitive information is illegible and will not alter the positionof the sensitive information on the display at that distance. However,as a user gets closer to the sensitive information, the privacy mode ofthe augmented reality device may become more intense to ensure that thesensitive information cannot be read. For example, if a user is standingon the threshold of the proximity the privacy view of the sensitiveinformation may be blurred more thoroughly than when further from theproximity. Alternatively, when a user is within the proximity and closeto the sensitive information, the privacy view may be enabled at thehighest level to negate any viewing of the sensitive information.

Being that the augmented reality device, in this case smart glasses, areworn on the face of each user present in the environment, and eachaugmented reality device is connected over a network, upon detectingthat a user has removed their augmented reality device from their body,or is no longer wearing the device, a notification may be supplied toother users within the environment that a user has removed theirwearable device. Removing the wearable device within the environmentwill negate any privacy mode implementations associated with one or moreusers viewing sensitive information in the environment. Thus, a userthat is present within a proximity of another user having privacysettings set may be alerted immediately that the user has removed theirwearable augmented reality device. The another user may then take actionto prevent the user from seeing sensitive information, for example,pause working on the sensitive information until the user puts theirwearable device back on, alerting security that the user has removed thewearable device, hide the sensitive information, and/or the like.

The various embodiments described herein thus represent a technicalimprovement to conventional methods for providing privacy to a userwithin an open spaced environment. Rather than utilizing traditionalmethods that require the system of the user to be responsive to thedetection of one or more persons within a distance from the user device,and pausing or altering a display containing sensitive information, thedescribed system and method utilizes augmented reality devicesassociated with each user within an environment to enable a privacy modeupon the detection of a user being within a proximity of another user.The system is able to enable a privacy mode established by another userviewing sensitive information on a user augmented reality device,therefore negating the viewing of unauthorized sensitive information bya user while permitting the another user to view the sensitiveinformation without interruption. Additionally, the privacy modeenabling a privacy view may become more intense as a user gets closer tounauthorized sensitive information and may determine that the influenceof additional user characteristics may dynamically alter the privacyview of the user. Such embodiments may allow a system to accuratelyprovide privacy to a user viewing sensitive information withoutinterruption by use of one or more augmented reality devices.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, various aspects may beembodied as a system, method or device program product. Accordingly,aspects may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment or anembodiment including software that may all generally be referred toherein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects maytake the form of a device program product embodied in one or more devicereadable medium(s) having device readable program code embodiedtherewith.

It should be noted that the various functions described herein may beimplemented using instructions stored on a device readable storagemedium such as a non-signal storage device that are executed by aprocessor. A storage device may be, for example, an electronic,magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system,apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Morespecific examples of a storage medium would include the following: aportable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random-access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-onlymemory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device,or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of thisdocument, a storage device is not a signal and is not to be construed asbeing transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire. Additionally, the term “non-transitory” includes allmedia except signal media.

Program code embodied on a storage medium may be transmitted using anyappropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline,optical fiber cable, radio frequency, et cetera, or any suitablecombination of the foregoing.

Program code for carrying out operations may be written in anycombination of one or more programming languages. The program code mayexecute entirely on a single device, partly on a single device, as astand-alone software package, partly on single device and partly onanother device, or entirely on the other device. In some cases, thedevices may be connected through any type of connection or network,including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), orthe connection may be made through other devices (for example, throughthe Internet using an Internet Service Provider), through wirelessconnections, e.g., near-field communication, or through a hard wireconnection, such as over a USB connection.

Example embodiments are described herein with reference to the figures,which illustrate example methods, devices and program products accordingto various example embodiments. It will be understood that the actionsand functionality may be implemented at least in part by programinstructions. These program instructions may be provided to a processorof a device, a special purpose information handling device, or otherprogrammable data processing device to produce a machine, such that theinstructions, which execute via a processor of the device implement thefunctions/acts specified.

It is worth noting that while specific blocks are used in the figures,and a particular ordering of blocks has been illustrated, these arenon-limiting examples. In certain contexts, two or more blocks may becombined, a block may be split into two or more blocks, or certainblocks may be re-ordered or re-organized as appropriate, as the explicitillustrated examples are used only for descriptive purposes and are notto be construed as limiting.

As used herein, the singular “a” and “an” may be construed as includingthe plural “one or more” unless clearly indicated otherwise.

This disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration anddescription but is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art. The example embodiments were chosen and described in orderto explain principles and practical application, and to enable others ofordinary skill in the art to understand the disclosure for variousembodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particularuse contemplated.

Thus, although illustrative example embodiments have been describedherein with reference to the accompanying figures, it is to beunderstood that this description is not limiting and that various otherchanges and modifications may be affected therein by one skilled in theart without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, the method comprising: tracking, usinga virtual privacy creation system, a user having an augmented realitydevice within an environment; detecting, with the virtual privacycreation system, the user is in proximity to another user having aprivacy mode enabled, wherein the privacy mode of the another useridentifies privacy settings for the another user; and enabling, at theaugmented reality device, a privacy view based upon the privacy settingsfor the another user.
 2. The method of claim 1, comprising detecting agaze of the user is directed in a direction of the another user andwherein the enabling is based upon the detecting a gaze of the user isdirected in a direction of the another user.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the enabling a privacy view comprises enabling a level of theprivacy view based upon a distance the user is to an object identifiedin the privacy settings.
 4. The method of claim 1, comprising: detectingthe augmented reality device is moved from a position of wear while theuser is in proximity to another user; and notifying the another user ofthe detecting the augmented reality device is moved from a position ofwear.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the privacy settings define aspace within the environment as private and wherein the detecting theuser is in proximity to the another user comprises detecting the user iswithin the space.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the privacy settingsdefine attributes of the another user to enable the privacy mode andwherein the privacy mode is dynamic based upon the attributes of theanother user.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting furthercomprises determining at least one object the another user has indicatedis private via the privacy settings is viewable by the user.
 8. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the privacy settings define objects withinthe environment as private and wherein the enabling a privacy viewcomprises obscuring a view of the objects.
 9. The method of claim 1,wherein the environment comprises a mapped environment and wherein thetracking is performed using a simultaneous localization and mappingalgorithm.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabling a privacyview comprises at least one of: blurring a portion of a view of theaugmented reality device, darkening a portion of a view of the augmentedreality device, and changing a color of a portion of a view of theaugmented reality device.
 11. An information handling device, theinformation handling device comprising: a processor; a memory devicethat stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, causesthe information handling device to: track, using a virtual privacycreation system, a user having an augmented reality device within anenvironment; detect, with the virtual privacy creation system, the useris in proximity to another user having a privacy mode enabled, whereinthe privacy mode of the another user identifies privacy settings foranother user; and enable, at the augmented reality device, a privacyview based upon the privacy settings for the another user.
 12. Theinformation handling device of claim 11, comprising detecting a gaze ofthe user is directed in a direction of the another user and where in theenabling the is based upon the detecting a gaze of the user is directedin a direction of the another user.
 13. The information handling deviceof claim 11, wherein the enabling a privacy view comprises enabling alevel of the privacy view based upon a distance the user is to an objectidentified in the privacy settings.
 14. The information handling deviceof claim 11, comprising: detecting the augmented reality device is movedfrom a position of wear while the user is in proximity to another user;and notifying the another user of the detecting the augmented realitydevice is moved from a position of wear.
 15. The information handlingdevice of claim 11, wherein the privacy settings define a space withinthe environment as private and wherein the detecting the user is inproximity to the another user comprises detecting the user is within thespace.
 16. The information handling device of claim 11, wherein theprivacy settings define attributes of the another user to enable theprivacy mode and wherein the privacy mode is dynamic based upon theattributes of the another user.
 17. The information handling device ofclaim 11, wherein the detecting further comprises determining at leastone object the another user has indicated is private via the privacysettings is viewable by the user.
 18. The information handling device ofclaim 11, wherein the privacy settings define objects within theenvironment as private and wherein the enabling a privacy view comprisesobscuring a view of the objects.
 19. The information handling device ofclaim 11, wherein the environment comprises a mapped environment andwherein the tracking is performed using a simultaneous localization andmapping algorithm.
 20. A product, the product comprising: acomputer-readable storage device that stores executable code that, whenexecuted by a processor, causes the product to: track, using a virtualprivacy creation system, a user having an augmented reality devicewithin an environment; detect, with the virtual privacy creation system,the user is in proximity to another user having a privacy mode enabled,wherein the privacy mode of the another user identifies privacy settingsfor the another user; and enable, at the augmented reality device, aprivacy view based upon the privacy settings for the another user.